Raising sunken ships



Dec. 11, 1945. E- -ITTIN ER 2,390,654

RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS Filed Oct. 6,1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I nveutor CHARLES if K/TT/NGE Dec. 11, 1945 c. E. KITTINGER 2,390,654 7 RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS 7 Filed oer. s, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I mwllor CHARL 55 Z //7'7'/NGER7 Deg. 11, 1945. c. a KlTTlNGER RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS.

Filed Oct. 6, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I u ventor M zm Dec. 11, 1945. c. E KITTINGER 7 2,390,654

' RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS Filed bet. 6, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor Patented Dec. 11, 1945 STATES PATENT OFFICE w v 2,390,654 j RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS Charles Kittinger, Missoula, Mont- Application: October 6, 1944, Serial-'No.-557,441-

The object of. the present invention is to provide; an. improved method of and apparatus for raising sunken ships,

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts. throughout. the several views:

Figure 1. is atop plan view, partly broken away, showing two salvage ships coupled together so asto be maintained in spaced side-by-side relation accordance with the present invention, said salvage ships being also specially constructed and equipped withhoisting mechanism as contemplated by the present. invention.

. Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of a body of water showing a vessel sunk therein and the salvage ships'located upon the surface of the watern directly abovethe sunken vessel; hoisting loops: lowered from. the salvage ships being engage'd with. the sunken vessel in accordance with aastep of the. present method.

Figure3is an enlarged fragmentary top. plan view moreclearly showing the hoisting mechanism, two of which are provided on each salvage shipl. 3

Figure .4 is a perspective view of one of the hull contacting members which are employed on the.

hoisting loops to prevent slipping or the latter relative to the hull of? the sunken vessel during the. act of raising thelatter.

1 Eigure- 5 is an end elevational vice shown: in Figure 4.

-Eigure 6 is a fragmentary view showing the central portion of one of the hoisting loops and theihull. contacting members mounted thereon.

Figure 7. is a view looking toward the right of Figureflto more clearly show how the salvage ships. are coupled in spaced. side-by-side relation and howthe hoisting loops of the salvage ships are extended. to and engaged under, the sunken vessel;

Figure 8 is a somewhat diagrammatic top plan viewzof the' constructioncshown iii-Figures 2 and 7;, drawn. on' a. smaller scale.

Referring in detail to'the drawings, the present view of the deinvention contemplatesthe provision of two similar'salvage. vesse1s5 and 5a, each having formed entirely therethrough adjacent the bow and stern portions thereof vertical downwardly flaring. passages 6 and 6a, respectively. Mounted on the deck. ofeach: salvage: vesseladjacent each of its passages 6 and 6a is a hoisting mechanism generally indicated at 1. As shown more clearly in Figure 3, each hoisting mechanism 1 includes a hoisting or winding drum 8 journaled in bearings at the upper ends of uprights and standards 9 4 Claims' (01. 11441) site sides of the associated opening 6 or 6a sothat the winding dru is "mounted transversely of said opening 6 or Ba centrally of the latter. At its ends, the drum 8 has large gears IO- that mesh with pinions H on the endsof a transverse countersha-ft l2 journaled in bearings 113 at the inner side of the associated opening or passage- 6 or 6a. A further pair of relatively large gears I 4 are secured on the end portions of counter-- shaft l2 and mesh with pinions 15' secured on the projecting ends of the drive shaft l6 of a motor, or engine I8 mounted on the deck of the salvage ship adjacent the shaft 1-2. l

Attached to and adapted to be wound upon each drum 8 are the opposite ends of a cable 20' forming a hoisting loop adapted to be raised: and lowered through the associated passage 6 or Go. The operation and speed of the engine or motor It may be suitably controlled. Threaded onto the intermediate portion of each of the hoisting loops in are a plurality of hull contacting blocks 2! which are preferably of triangular form, as shown clearly in Figures 4' to 6, inclusive, and which are preferably provided upon each of the:

faces thereof with a plurality of pointed spurs of the sunken vessel after the hoisting loops become taut during theraising operation.

Means is provided. to separably'coupl the two salvage shipsso as to maintain themin predetermined spaced 'side-by-side relation during the. raising operation and to also aid in preventing lateral capsizing of said salvage ships. For this; purpose, a coupling bar 24 is provided between each of the opposite end portions of the; salvage ships, and separable ball and. socket joints are provided at2-5 between the opposite ends of; each coupling bar'24' and'the decks of the'salvage ships at the adjacent sides of the latter. The ball and socket joints 25' may beof any suitable specific constructionthat wi'lLperinitremovalv of the con 1 pling bars'when desired and'thatlwill permit rel-n with the latter and coupled together by means of the coupling bars 24. The hoisting loops 20 of the two salvage vessels are lowered and engaged under the sunken vessel, the loops 20 at corresponding ends of the salvage ships being engaged under the remote end of the sunken vessel and the remaining loops 20 of said salvage ships being engaged under the other remote end of said sunken vessel. In other words, the hoisting loops 20 of .each saIVage ship are extended downwardly andtcrossed, as shown clearl in Figure 2, so that each hoisting loop is extended from one end of a salvage ship and engaged under the remote end of the sunken vessel. This arrangement is followed in connection with each salvage ship so that two sets of crossed hoisting loops are provided, one of each set being engaged under one end of the sunken vessel, and the other loop of each set being engaged under the other end of the sunken vessel. The hoisting mechanisms of both salvage ships are then all set in operation so as to simultaneously and similarly wind the hoisting loops 20 upon the drums 8 with a corresponding portion of the weight of the sunk- I en vessel imposed upon each hoisting loop. Also, the pull on each hoisting loop is in a direction toward the transversecenter of the sunken vessel So that the loops wil1 positively remain in engagement with the sunken vessel and will be prevented from slipping from beneath the bow and stem endsof the latter as might readily take place if the hoisting loopswere extended vertically in uncrossed relation. When the sunken vessel has been raised toa desired degree, the salvage ships may be moved to bring the raised vessel to a desired destination for completing raising and salvage thereof. Where circumstances permit, the engagement of the hoisting loops with the sunken vessel may be effected by a diver. Other means for effecting such engagement can he arrived at and resorted to Where the vessel is sunk'to a depth at which a diver cannot successfully operate. It will be noted that each salvageship has complete control and operation of its respective hoistingloops, a more effective arrangement than that of extending one end of a hoisting loop from one salvage ship, under' the sunken vessel and then to the other salvage ship. Also, the hoisting loops or cables 20 may' be'freely movable through the hull contacting blocks 21 so that the latter may not be shifted after tightly engaging the hull of the sunken ship, even though movements of the salvage ships may effect longitudinal movement of the cables 20 through said blocks 2|.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction and operation, as well as the advantages of the prevent invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. Minor changes may be resorted to such as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is: r

' 1. The method of raising a sunken ship, which consists in disposing two salvage ships on the surface parallel with and to opposite sides of the sunken vessel, coupling said salvage ships so as to maintain them in spaced parallel relation and permit them to relatively rise and fall with the waves, lowering hoisting loops from each salvage Y j acent each passage of the latter and including a winding drum, a hoisting loop associated With mounted on the deck of each salvage ship adship and through the latter respectivel adjacent the bow and stern thereof, crossing the hoisting loops of each salvage ship beneath the latter and above the sunken ship and engaging them under opposite ends of the sunken vessel so that an upward pull upon the hoisting loops will tend to draw the same toward the transverse center of the sunken vessel, and simultaneously winding all of the hoisting loops of the two salvage ships loops of each salvage ship beneath the latter and. above the sunken ship and engaging them under:

opposite ends of the sunken vessel so'that an up- 1 ward pull upon the hoisting loops will tend to draw the same toward the transverse center of the sunken vessel, simultaneously winding all of the hoisting loops of the two salvage ships at a substantially uniform speed to raise the sunken vessel in a substantially horizontal position adjacent and between the salvage ships, and providing for constant gripping engagement of the loops with. the hull of the sunken ship while permittinglongitudinal shifting of the hoisting loops relative to the latter hull while the hoisting loops are taut during the raising operation.

3. Apparatus for raising sunken ships comprising two similar salvage ships each having downwardly flaring passages therethrough. adjacent the bow and stern thereof, a hoisting mechanism.

mounted on the deck of each salvage shipadeach hoisting mechanism and having its opposite ends connected to the winding drum thereof and movable through the associated passage, and. means for coupling the salvage ships to main-' tain them in spaced parallel relation, said coupling means being flexibly connected to the respective salvage ships'to permit relative .rising and falling of the latter in rough water.

4. Apparatus for raising sunken ships comprising two similar salvage ships each having downwardly flaring passages therethrough adjacent.

the bow and stern thereof, a hoisting mechanism jacent each passage of the latter and including a winding drum, a hoisting loop associated with each hoisting mechanism and having its opposite ends connected to the winding drum thereof and movable through the associated passage, and

means for coupling the salvage ships to maintain them in spaced parallel relation, said coupling means being flexibly connected to the respective salvage ships to permit relative rising. and falling of the latter in rough water, and toothed hull contacting blocks freely threaded on the intermediate portions of said hoisting loops. 1

CHARLES E. KITTINGER; 

